News
Anjunabeats Introduces: GVN
Northern Irish producer GVN, aka Gavin Brown, dropped his Anjunabeats debut ‘I Don’t’ in 2021 as a serious statement of intent. First introduced to the label by anamē’s Marcus Schössow, the two would go on to collaborate on the 700th Anjunabeats release, ‘Take Me There’, which earned support from Lane 8, Kryder, Anja Schneider, Armin van Buuren, Giuseppe Ottaviani, TIBASKO and many more.
The Derry-native showed no signs of slowing down in the years that followed, serving up remixes for the likes of Lange and Chakra and attracting support from BBC Radio 1’s Pete Tong and Danny Howard.
GVN kicked off this year with his dynamic double-header ‘Thinking About You / Believer’, which has seen spins from the likes of BBC Radio 1’s Jaguar, RTÉ 2FM’s Diarmuid O’Brian, Ferry Corsten, Farius, Judge Jules, Ronski Speed and Tritonal.
Learn more about the story behind GVN, as well as ‘Thinking About You / Believer’, in our Q&A with him below.
Listen to 'Thinking About You / Believer'
Q&A with GVN
Marcus from anamē introduced you to the label! Do the two of you still stay in touch?
Of course! Marcus and I are great friends now. Being more experienced than I am in the industry, Marcus guides and supports me a lot as I navigate through the music scene.
Any fun stories from your musical journey so far?
Funnily enough I remember back in 2013 when I was part of a residency in Derry, Marcus Schössow was invited to headline. After the gig, I couldn’t find him but I was told he was in a chippy next door that was closed, but you could get into it by a door leading from the back of the club. So there were about 5 of us, including Marcus, sitting there in the dark just chatting. I thought it was funny but surreal, just casually sitting eating chips beside someone who I looked up to as a producer for years.
What’s been your favourite show to date?
I’ve had so many but if I had to choose it would be Creamfields in 2021. It was always on my bucket list to attend as a fan, but I never imagined I’d end up on the other side. During my set, there was such an amazing atmosphere and when I finished I stayed in the crowd for the rest of the day, just to make the most of it.
Do you have a favourite Anjunabeats record? What is it and why?
Mat Zo & Porter Robinson - Easy. Aside from the amazing production, this tune just brings back so much nostalgia for me. It guided me through the good times, the tough times and when I hit a lot of brick walls back at the start of my music journey.
Which artists have had the biggest influence on you musically?
One would have to be Bicep. Their ‘Isles’ album really influenced my experiments with breakbeat and the sound design in every track is insane. Another is Tourist, especially with his atmospheric and emotive sounds, which I try to express in most of my records. One more would be Prospa. Their raw, clubby and eclectic style has had a big influence on the stuff I’m currently working on.
Do you remember the first track you made? When did you make it, and has your perspective on it changed over time?
I remember it well, so well that I’ve got a link for it here so you can listen to it yourself. I made it in 2013 without any tutorials to help. Back then I was obsessed with deadmau5 and I wanted to make something similar to his style. I always stumble across it every now and then and cringe, but enjoy listening to how my sound has developed a lot.
You’ve mentioned that your uncle’s a big trance fan and that he’s influenced your music taste. What does he think of your releases so far?
My uncle’s love for music seemed to brush off on me when I was younger. He’s very proud of the stuff I’ve put out there!
Which other Anjunabeats artists would you love to collaborate with?
I would love to do a collab with Genix. His recent stuff is on another level and a refreshing touch on the UK scene. Another would be SØNIN - his newest EP is great and I love the energy!
To gain deeper insight into how GVN got to where he is today, watch the ‘GVN | The Story So Far (Documentary)’ below!